ole suffering had been
foretold in the books of the Old Testament, and explained to His
disciples the prophecies concerning it. Even the fact, that at [Pg 329]
the time when Christ appeared the knowledge of a suffering Messiah was
undeniably possessed by the more enlightened, proves that the matter
stands differently. This knowledge is shown not only by the Baptist,
but also by Simeon, Luke ii. 34, 35. An assertion to the contrary can
proceed only from the erroneous opinion, that every single Messianic
prophecy exhibits the whole view of the Messiah, whereas, indeed, the
Messianic announcements bear throughout a fragmentary, incidental
character,--a mode of representation which is generally prevalent in
Scripture, and by which Scripture is distinguished from a system of
doctrines. But even if there had existed an appearance of such a
contradiction, it would long ago have been removed by the fulfilment.
But even the appearance of a contradiction is here inadmissible,
inasmuch as the Servant of God is here not only represented as
suffering and expiating, but, at the same time, as an object of
reverence to the whole Gentile world; and the _ground_ of this
reverence is His suffering and expiation. As regards the other passages
of the Old Testament where a suffering Messiah is mentioned, we must
distinguish between the Messiah simply suffering, and the Messiah
suffering as a substitute. The latter, indeed, we meet with in this
passage only. But to make up for this isolated mention, the
representation here is so full and exhaustive, so entirely excludes
all misunderstanding, except that which is bent upon misunderstanding,
or which is the result of evil disposition, is so affecting and so
indelibly impressive, is indeed so exactly in the tone of doctrinal
theology, and therefore different from the ordinary treatment, which is
always incidental, and requires to be supplemented from other passages,
that this single isolated representation, which sounds through the
whole of the New Testament, is quite sufficient for the Church. The
suffering and dying Messiah, on the other hand, we meet with frequently
in other passages of the Old Testament also, although, indeed, not so
frequently as the Messiah in glory. In this light He is brought before
us, _e.g._, in chap. xlix. 50; in Dan. ix.; in Zech. ix. 9, 10, xi. 12,
13. The fact that the humiliation of Christ would precede His
exaltation is distinctly pointed out in the first part of